Computer Repairs Subiaco WA 6008

Computer Repairs Subiaco, PC Repairs Subiaco, Apple Repairs Subiaco. Also IT Services Subiaco and Home/Business call outs from $90 The IT Guys WA operate out of Subiaco to residents and businesses throughout Perth including Subiaco, Shenton Park, Daglish and Jolimont, Western Australia Our Services: Computer Repairs & Upgrades We repair and upgrade all computer and IT equipment from Windows Desktops, Laptops, and Apple iMac, Macbook, Printers, Scanners, Screens, Keyboards etc. We also remove computer viruses and fix or replace Hard Disk Drives (HDD) and Solid State Drives (SSD) including data recovery Computer Help & Support We offer in-home computer and network troubleshooting, repairs and callouts for residential customers, remote-support and in-house training and advise from our workshop. We welcome walk-in customers with no appointment necessary during normal business hours Home Networking We offer Home Network, Home Internet/NBN troubleshooting, Home Music Systems repairs/installs, Wi-Fi troubleshooting, Smart Home Wiring and Wireless (Wi-Fi) solutions plus Family Zone family-friendly internet filtering systems Business Support Looking for Business IT Support and Solutions? We service our business clients through our sister company “Hybrid ICT“. Please contact Hybrid ICT by clicking on this link. Microsoft We are Microsoft Silver Partners and offer Microsoft product advise, repairs and troubleshooting on: Microsoft Office (365, 2021/19/16/13), Email/Outlook Setup, Purchase, Repairs, Microsoft Windows (Win11, Win10): Upgrades, Setup, Purchase, Repairs and Microsoft Surface, Purchase, Setup. Apple We are an Apple Authorised Reseller and Apple Consultants Network member offering Apple product advise, training, support, setup and solutions on: Apple Mac/iMac, Mac OS, iOS, iPhone, iPad and all Apple iOS/Mac OS software including: Office for Mac, Entourage, Apple Mail, iCloud, iTunes, Photos, Bootcamp, Parallels etc.   The IT Guys assess, evaluate and provide a fixed-price estimate to fix your Computer, PC, Apple, Printer, Internet, Network or E-Mail issue for only :assess-fee: (providing you can bring the device to our workshop or give us remote access). Before presenting at our office, please complete this registration form here to save time when dropping off your device. We can also come out to your premises, but we prefer to save you money by having you bring the problem to us. If we can identify and make an immediate fix of the issue in less than 5 minutes in our reception, we will strive to do so and there will be NO CHARGE. This is subject to how busy we are and the availability of a technician. We may ask you to return at an off-peak period. If a computer, PC or Mac cannot start or is behaving slowly or erratically, the repair can only be carried out economically and efficiently by a qualified computer professional at a computer workshop. SIMPLE COMPUTER PROBLEMS Simple computer problems do not require replacing parts (Operating System Updates, viruses, data recovery, E-Mail issues etc.) will typically fall in the $78 to $156 price range and can be turned around within 24 to 72 hours. Before presenting at our office, please complete this registration form here to save time when dropping off your device. MAJOR COMPUTER PROBLEMS Major Computer Problems usually require the supply or new parts, components or software. Depending on availability they can take from 48 hours to several weeks to source. Repairs involving the replacement of parts such as Disk Drives (HDD) or RAM start from $156 If the cost of repairs outweighs the cost to replace, we may advise clients to do just that. You can either supply your own replacement or we can source something more suitable. Furthermore, we can then help in the transfer of data and programs from the old to the new device or computer. Before presenting at our office, please complete this registration form here to save time when dropping off your device. HOME/BUSINESS CALL-OUT, COLLECTION AND DELIVERY If circumstances require on-site analysis (Network, Internet, WI-FI, Printer issues etc.) or the client is unable or unwilling to bring the device/equipment to us, we can make a call-out (site visit) for call-out prices click here. To book an onsite support appointment, click here :jk:

There is no point backing up your data if you don’t test your backups?

So how often do you backup your data and as importantly when was the last time you actually tested that it was backing up correctly? There is no point backing up your data if you don’t test your backups? Big businesses spend a great deal of money or “Disaster Recovery” (DR) and often have whole teams of people doing nothing else than test data recovery procedures and the data it collects. Individuals and small businesses do not have these time or resources, so here are a few tips and references to assist you in minimising your risk without spending hours and lost of resources. Do you backup your data regularly? If so, how, and how often? DO NOT keep your eggs in one basket………… to reduce your risk backup using two or more methods. Here we explain the Top 5 ways to backup and restore your data How to backup your data using Windows Vista, Windows 7 or Windows 8 Refer to our article How to use Microsoft’s default backup to backup to an external device How to restore your data using Windows Vista, Windows 7 or Windows 8 Refer to our article How to restore files from Microsoft Backup How to backup your data using Apple’s OS X Refer to our article How to use the Apple time-machine to backup to an external device or iCloud How to backup to the cloud for FREE Refer to our article How to use Google Drive for FREE cloud storage and backup Secure and Unlimited Cloud backup solution for only $20 per month The IT Guys (WA) Offer a $20 per month service to individuals and small businesses. Click here for further details   :jk:

11 reasons you must STOP using FREE, generic or ISP based domain names for business emails.

Using a FREE, generic or ISP based domain email address is NOT doing your business any favours. You could own and use your own company domain name for only $30 per year. Internet Service Providers (ISPs) generally offer their customers one or more email addresses as long as you keep paying for their service.  In Australia there are many ISPs with the biggest three being: @bigpond.com @optus.com.au @iinet.net.au How many business contacts do you know using one of the above email domains? No matter who your ISP is, you can also purchase generic email addresses such as @engineer.com or @consultant.com and there are many FREE email addresses available from @gmail.com, @yahoo.com, @hotmail.com (now called @outlook.com or @live.com) and thousands more like them. 6 Reasons why you should NOT conduct business using a generic, Free or ISP based email address. FREE, generic or ISP based email addresses do not look professional. FREE, generic or ISP based email addresses do not make you look like a permanent company who will be around for the longer-term. When you change domain providers you cannot take your email address with you. By not registering your business domain (and close variants) you are giving competitors the opportunity to do so and to steal your brand. By not registering your business domain (and close variants) you may be unable to build a website in the future using your preferred name. Emails from generic, Free or ISP based email addresses are the ones most often used by scammers and thieves. This means your mails will not always get through business strength email servers (such as Microsoft Exchange ) that protect businesses from SPAM. 5 more reasons you SHOULD register and conduct business using your own domain name. Adds Credibility – As the saying goes: “You never get a second chance to make a first impression”. Having your own domain name projects a professional image of you and your company, normally associated with large companies. It tends to say to others that you’re a serious business person, operating an established business, in a professional manner. Email Aliases – by doing business under your own domain name, you can use multiple Email “aliases”. Every Email message affirms your name, eg sales@you.com.au , manager@you.com.au , service@you.com.au Portability – If you’ve ever had to change your service provider, or even move your physical business address, you won’t have to be reminded of what an incredible hassle it can be to notify everyone. Remember, without your own domain name, your Internet address is tied to that of your service provider. Thus, if you want to change providers you also change your Web address and probably Email address as well. Free advertising – Every time you send Domain email you are advertising your brand or business name and strengthening your brand amongst those who receive your message. As email use grows, so does your promotion of your name. Simple to find, remember, and use – By using an email service that bases your email addresses on your domain name instead of your ISP’s, you gain freedom to use simple, memorable addresses like: sales@yourbiz.com.au or John.Smith@yourbiz.com.au Domain Hosting Once you or your company has its own domain name, it will have to be “hosted”. In order to receive and send emails, a server (located either on the internet or in your office) is required to host an email program such as Microsoft Exchange, IBM Lotus Domino, Sendmail etc. Bigger companies may elect to host their email server on their own servers on own premises. Smaller companies often “rent” hosted mail services from a variety of sources. Renting such services can cost hundreds of dollars per year whereas the cost of purchasing your own server and mail software will cost thousands of dollars and will need to maintained and replaced every 3 to 5 years. A cost effective solution is offered by Microsoft called “Office 365 Small Business Premium” and combines the latest Microsoft Office products with hosted Exchange. For less than $200 per year you can have the full new Microsoft Office suite (office 365), your own domain name and all running on Microsoft Exchange Professionally powerful. Power your business with our smartest tools yet. Introducing Office 365 Small Business Premium, our best-in-class productivity solution for businesses with 1-10 employees. You’ll have the tools you need to look as professional as you are, all in one easy-to-manage software suite that you can deploy without needing IT expertise. Plus, you can access your Office 365 documents and applications virtually anywhere from the cloud, allowing you to work on different devices and stay connected to people and your business. With Office 365 Small Business Premium you have access to the latest Office applications, as well as professional online tools like email, a public website, cloud storage, and more. Office 365 Small Business Premium includes: Easy set up. Full suite of Office applications, including Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, OneNote, Publisher,and Access. Online services, including enterprise-grade email, a public website, HD video conferencing, and more. Install Office on up to 5 PCs, Windows 8 tablets or Macs for one user.   :jk:

Top 12 ways to speed up your Computer PC or Laptop

Our Top 12 ways to speed up your Computer PC or Laptop and Internet browsing experience. If you don’t feel confident in doing any of this yourself, bring it to us or we can come to you. You can contact us on 08 6365 5603 1) Reduce the number of programs that “run-on-startup” When installing new programs there is often a little tick box that is selected by default which says “Run on startup“. Before you know it, you have 10 programs trying to start when you switch your computer on or reboot and all greedily trying to load first by using the computers memory or CPU. This can slow your computer down considerably. Some of the worst offenders of this are Skype and Chat clients such as Yahoo Messanger, Sharepoint, Google Drive, Lync, AOL chat etc etc By stopping these programs from loading on startup (In Skype goto Tools – Options – General Settings and “un-tick”, “Start Skype when I start Windows”) your computer will start much quicker. Assuming you have done this for Skype and your various chat clients but your computer is still taking an age to start, then you need to look a little deeper into what is happening. When your computer is starting up hit “Ctrl-Alt-Delete” buttons all at the same time and then select “Start Task Manager” The Task Manager shows you all the applications and processes being run by your computer at that very moment. You will see the amount of CPU Usage going up and down …on startup this can be very high but once settled down should be running at less than 50%. This will vary depending on how much memory or RAM your computer has. Computers with 1GB of RAM will have a higher work rate than those with 4 or 8GB of RAM. Make sure you have the tick box selected show processes from all users then click on the CPU and Memory column descriptors to reorder the list in terms of CPU usage and Memory Usage. If you notice a program running that you do not recognise, does not appear to be associated with Microsoft, your computer’s manufacturer, anti-virus products etc… then take a note of the item and google-it as I did with the image name igfxsrvc.exe which I was not familiar with so I google it. From the results I am confident it is harmless. If you find a process you suspect of beig a virus or malware…simply highlight that process and click on “End Process” if this appears to fix your problems you now need to figure out what is causing that process to run as the next time you restart your computer the process will again be activated automatically. Check and Cleanup your Startup processes A simple tool for removing unwanted start-up processes can be found in the FREE CCleaner utility. Use this utility to identify start up processes, disable them and then uninstall them using the tools-> uninstall feature. 2) Add more Memory (RAM) The quickest and easiest way to increase the speed of your computers start-up and performance generally is to increase the amount of RAM memory it has. There are still many PC’s and Laptops out there with only 1GB of RAM. This was fine for Windows XP but if you are Running Windows Vista, 7 or 8 then you need a minimum 2GB memory and ideally 4GB or 8GB (but you may not have enough memory slots or your computer to accommodate this extra RAM) … check the specification of your computer online before buying or installing the extra memory.   3) Add a bigger and faster disk drive When your existing Hard Disk storage is 90% or more full, your computer slows down because it often uses a portion of your disk drive to increase its RAM. The increase in manufacturing and Hard Drive technology also means that conventional drives are becoming faster each year. As each year goes by the chances of your disk drive failing increase, especially after 6 years (see “how often should I replace my Hard Disk Drive”) and as they are relatively inexpensive, upgrading your HDD annually is a good way to clean up your data and speed up your PC. To super-charge the speed of your PC or Laptop consider buying a solid-state hard drive (SDD). These have no moving parts and are completely electronic. Although smaller in capacity they are extremely fast, especially if a program does a lot of disk access (such as a database)   4) Clean your Computer A PC, Computer or Laptop uses power and as a result generates heat. Every PC has 1,2 or 3 fans in the case designed to keep the components cool and working optimally. Like a car….. if the radiator blows…. so does the engine, but before it blows it can simply slow down the computer. Checking the outlets or opening up the box could reveal a dust-infected-horror-story. See our article about giving your computer a spring clean 5) Scan your computer for Viruses If your computer or laptop has suddenly become slow, unresponsive, cannot access the internet etc… then the chances are you have become infected with a Computer Virus, Malware or Spyware. We specialise in removing these nasties but if you wish to try and do so yourself, see our article called “How to remove 99% of computer viruses, malware and adware for FREE” 7) Remove unnecessary browser “Add-Ons” Too many “toolbars” or “add-ons” as well as spoiling your browsing experiences will also slow down your internet browsing and may flood you with unwanted advertising etc. See the following articles about removing unwanted browsers toolbars, add-ons and resetting your search engine defaults.   How to remove unwanted “Add-ons” and Toolbars from Google Chrome How to remove unwanted “Add-ons” and Toolbars from Mozilla Firefox How to remove unwanted “Add-ons” and Toolbars from Internet Explorer How to reset your search engine back to Google or Bing   8) Reinstall or Repair your Operating System (OS) […]

Cracked Laptop Screen Repairs

Replacing Damaged or Cracked Laptop or Notebook Screens Our technicians are skilled in Cracked Laptop Screen Repairs but will not be able to complete the repair until a replacement part has been sourced and priced. Most parts are not readily available in Perth and will have to be sourced from the Eastern States or from Overseas. Apple iMac, Apple Macbook Screen Repairs Repairing an Apple LCD screen is usually an expensive option and it is often a cheaper option to purchase a new computer. This is because the whole top-shell of the MacBook needs to be replaced. The IT Guys, can source second-hand/refurbished parts, usually from overseas for older models. However, second hand parts come without warranty. On All Apple Macbooks it is not simply a matter of replacing the LCD, the whole top-case needs to be replaced and this can often be expensive. For an indicative price email your serial number to :email: for a quote. Microsoft Surface Screen Repairs Sorry but we cannot help here. All surface repairs are ONLY carried out only by Microsoft in Sydney. Windows Laptop/Notebook Screen Repairs If your windows laptop screen is damaged or cracked please email us at :email: with your model and serial number and the Laptop/Notebook make and model and we will send you a written quotation by email. If you wish to go ahead with the repair, please contact us and give us the go-ahead to source and purchase the part you will need to pay for the part in advance. Once the screen has arrived at our workshop we will give you a call and ask you to bring in the damaged article. Simple screen replacements can often be done within the hour (depending on how busy the workshop is) :jk:

Unlimited cloud backup for $20 per month

Secure data by backing up to the cloud from $20 per month Backing up data over the internet to a secure server in another location has now become very affordable and an alternative to using External Hard Disk drives, NAS drives or a server and tape drives. The IT Guys (WA) in partnership with a reputable International company based out of Sydney, New South Wales, can now provide such services at a cost of only $20 per month per device (Unlimited Data, for a PC, Laptop or Server) or from $10 per TB (1,000 GB) per month for a NAS drive In addition to the monthly fee stated above, there is also an initial seed option for a one off fee of $350. If you have a lot of existing data that would takes days or weeks to backup over the Internet, we can supply an external HDD, backup your data onto it and courier it to Sydney to be loaded onto the backup server. Once the data is loaded, only the difference between the old and new data is backed up daily over the Internet. Although a very cheap option, this is a cloud backup solution as opposed to a cloud file solution. This means that lost files need to be recovered first before using and files cannot be accessed via a web browser. Although all data files are backed up and recovered using this solution, programs and applications are not and would have to be reinstalled. This can be quite time consuming. The Datto ALTO 3 delivers enterprise-grade Intelligent Business Continuity (IBC) functionality at a small business price and allows full server image restore including all data and programs. This is much quicker alternative that having to reinstall server software and applications See also: TRADITIONAL BACKUP VS. INTELLIGENT BUSINESS CONTINUITY Datto ALTO 3 – Intelligent Business Continuity Solution for Small Business The following provides a cost comparison of various cloud backup and file sharing solutions note 1 – Australian iCloud Prices https://support.apple.com/en-au/ht201238 – 2TB Max storage (Files, pictures, Music, Books etc) – Files can be accessed via browser note 2 – Australian Google Drive Prices – https://www.google.com/drive/pricing/ can expand to 10TB – Files can be accessed via browser note 3 – OneDrive/Sharepoint – https://products.office.com/en-au/onedrive-for-business/compare-onedrive-for-business-plans – Can expand to 25TB – Files can be accessed via browser note 4 – Dropbox Plus prices https://www.dropbox.com/buy/plus – Also unlimited Dropbox Business for $33/m x 5 users gives unlimited storage (Dropbox Business) – Files can be accessed via browser note 5 – IT Guys WA A4 Prices incl GST on a 12 month contract, managed by the IT Guys. (Files only) – Files cannot be accessed via a browser and need to restored. Does not copy programs, only data note 6 – IT Guys WA A$ Prices incl GST 2TB for $150 on a 12 month contract, manager by the IT Guys Backs Up Files and Disk image for Servers. ) – Files can be accessed via browser note 7 – USD Prices Elephant Drive Pricing Plans unlimited plans available on application (Files only) ) – Files can be accessed via browser note 8 – Azure backup prices – real-time replication of your virtual machines (VM) to a backup vault in Azure See also Preventative Maintenance & Disaster Recovery :jk:

Why is my computer or laptop starting so slowly?

Your computer is taking a long time to start or not even starting properly. What can I do about it? When installing new programs there is often a little tick box that is selected by default which says “Run on startup“. Before you know it, you have 10 programs trying to start when you switch your computer on or reboot and all greedily trying to load first by using the computers memory or CPU. This can slow your computer down considerably. Some of the worst offenders of this are Skype and Chat clients such as Yahoo Messanger, Sharepoint, Google Drive, Lync, AOL chat etc etc By stopping these programs from loading on startup (In Skype goto Tools – Options – General Settings and “un-tick”, “Start Skype when I start Windows”) your computer will start much quicker. Assuming you have done this for Skype and your various chat clients but your computer is still taking an age to start, then you need to look a little deeper into what is happening. When your computer is starting up hit “Ctrl-Alt-Delete” buttons all at the same time and then select “Start Task Manager” The Task Manager shows you all the applications and processes being run by your computer at that very moment. You will see the amount of CPU Usage going up and down …on startup this can be very high but once settled down should be running at less than 50%. This will vary depending on how much memory or RAM your computer has. Computers with 1GB of RAM will have a higher work rate than those with 4 or 8GB of RAM. Make sure you have the tick box selected show processes from all users then click on the CPU and Memory column descriptors to reorder the list in terms of CPU usage and Memory Usage. If you notice a program running that you do not recognise, does not appear to be associated with Microsoft, your computer’s manufacturer, anti-virus products etc… then take a note of the item and google-it as I did with the image name igfxsrvc.exe which I was not familiar with so I google it. From the results I am confident it is harmless. If you find a process you suspect of beig a virus or malware…simply highlight that process and click on “End Process” if this appears to fix your problems you now need to figure out what is causing that process to run as the next time you restart your computer the process will again be activated automatically. Check and Cleanup your Startup processes A simple tool for removing unwanted start-up processes can be found in the FREE CCleaner utility. Use this utility to identify start up processes, disable them and then uninstall them using the tools-> uninstall feature. What else can I do to speed up my computer The quickest and easiest way to increase the speed of your computers start-up and performance generally is to increase the amount of RAM memory it has. There are still many PC’s and Laptops out there with only 1GB of RAM. This was fine for Windows XP but if you are Running Windows Vista, 7 or 8 then you need a minimum 2GB memory and ideally 4GB or 8GB (but you may not have enough memory slots or your computer to accommodate this extra RAM) … check the specification of your computer online before buying or installing the extra memory. Need more help? If you live in Western Australia, and you need any kind of computer help, please bring your computer to us or call us out. You can contact us here. To secure your privacy and prevent virus, trojan and malware infections, The IT Guys recommend AVG anti-virus products. Click on the banner below to purchase. Written by John Kirkby

Australian Federal Police virus scam

Please be aware of the following scam which has been around for some time but we have just seen again on a clients computer here in Perth. After a few minutes the following image takes over your PC or laptop and locks you out, rendering your computer inoperable. This is caused by a computer-virus which tries to get you to use purchased credits to pay a fine to the Australian Federal Police of $100 using an online payment system called Ukash. Now it’s important to point out that Ukash, like Western Union, is a legitimate business and they are not associated with this scam. Ukash provides a service for consumers who want to send cash overseas quickly or buy things online using a voucher bought with cash. Ukash is based, as the name might suggest, in the UK and it’s regulated by the Financial Services Authority there. Ukash vouchers are available in set denominations – $20, $50, $100 and so on, up to $500 – at small shops, newsagents, delis and video stores across many countries, including Australia. DO NOT DO PAY ANYTHING, IT IS A SCAM the scammers are trying to steal your money. Our Western Australian government has issued a warning over the missue of Ukash vouchers here And Ukash themselves issue a number of warnings on their own site here Now back to the scam. What appears on your screen says the following: AFP Australian Federal Police Attention! Your PC is blocked due to at least one of the reasons specified below. You have been violating “Copyright and Related Rights Law” (Video, Music, Software) and illegally using or distributing copyrighted content, thus infringing Article 128 of the Criminal Code of Australia. Article 128 of the Criminal Code provides for a fine of 2 to 5 hundred minimal wages or a deprivation of liberty for 2 to 8 years. You have been viewing or distributing prohibited Pornographic content (Child Porn/Zoophillia anr etc.) Thus violating article 202 of the Criminal Code of Australia. Article 202 of the Criminal Code provides for a deprivation of liberty for 4 to 12 years. Illegal access to computer has been initiated from your PC, or you have been… Article 208 of the Criminal Code provides for a fine of up to AUD $100,000 and/or a deprivation of liberty for 4 to 9 years. Illegal access has been initiated from your PC without your knowledge or consent, your PC may be infected by malware, thus you are violating the law On Neglectful Use of Personal Computer. Article 210 of the Criminal Code provides for a fine of AUD $2,000 to AUD $8,00. To remove this virus you need to create a boot-disk using a commercially available virus removal program or a FREE virus removal boot disk program such as AVG Rescue. Related Posts and Articles Top 6 checks to make sure your computer is protected from Viruses and Malware How to use Microsoft’s default program to backup to an external device or hard drive Beware of scam emails about downloading Windows 10 Opening an email from Australia Post has had 3 clients in 3 days lose ALL their data to the CRYPTOLOCKER virus How to avoid Computer Viruses – Stop using Bing https://www.itguyswa.com.au/your-apple-mac-has-a-virus-this-is-not-a-joke/ Prevent viruses by not allowing others to use your computer account https://www.itguyswa.com.au/windows-8-users-open-to-adobe-reader-viruses/ How can I tell if my computer has a virus? https://www.itguyswa.com.au/how-to-remove-the-dosearches-search-virus/ How to remove the “Snap-Do” search virus Australian Federal Police virus scam Antivirus Security Pro is a SCAM – Here is how to remove it. How to remove 99% of computer viruses, malware and adware for FREE :jk:

How to fix Skype when it suddenly stops working

Has Skype suddenly stop working for you recently?   We have a fix. Here is what to do A client recently came to us complaining that having been a long-term user of skype, it had recently and unexpectedly suddenly stopped working and just hung there with the message “connecting”. We tried uninstalling, reinstalling. Disabling the firewall and Virus checker (thing recommended by the Skype FAQ) but nothing worked. After a few hours of research we found many, many Skype users complaining that since they had upgraded to Skype version 6.1 … it had stopped working for them and Microsoft were simply burying their heads in the sand and denying that there was a problem (they did the same when they released Windows 8) The solution we found to work was to uninstall skype completely and install an old version. The most relaible version appears to be version 4.2.0.187 which can be found here Once Skype is loaded and working again, goto “Tools” > “Options” > “Advanced” and make sure under “Advanced” you TURN OFF automatic updates, so the problem will not come back again. :jk:

How to remove the “Snap-Do” search virus

The IT Guys have recently come across and fixed a few PCs infected with the SnapDo browser hijacker. If the default page on your browser looks like the above picture, you have it. SnapDo Search will display advertisements and sponsored links in your search results, and may collect search terms from your search queries. It also runs a program called SnapDo.exe in the background which will also cause your computer to run slower, perhaps even become unresponsive. SnapDo is promoted via other free downloads, and once installed it will add SnapDo Toolbar, and change your browser homepage default search engine to search.snapdo.com. SnapDo Toolbar got on your computer after you installed a freeware software (video recording/streaming, download-managers or PDF creators) that had bundled into their installation this browser hijacker and when you did so, you will have agreed to change your default browser homepage and default search engine to search.snapdo.com and install the SnapDo Toolbar. Be very careful when installing software because often, a software installer includes optional installs, such as this SnapDo Toolbar. Don’t accept the defaults blindly and opt for the custom installation and deselect anything that is not familiar, especially optional software that you don’t need. Even after changing your default search engine back to Google.com or something else, it will still revert back to SnapDo unless you carry out the following instructions. Step 1 – Uninstall Snapdo.exe Goto the Windows Control Panel and look for the “Uninstall Software” option (found under Control PanelProgramsPrograms and Features in Windows 7). Look for “Snap.Do” by “ReSoft Ltd” and follow the uninstall procedure. While here, also look around for any installed programs not familiar to you and uninstall them also. You may have picked up a number of similar programs recently. Step 2 – Remove Snapdo as your default search engine in your browsers Depending on which browser you use this will differ follow these instructions Step 3 – Remove the SnapDo Toolbar from your browsers Depending on which browser you use this will differ follow these instructions: How to Remove the SnapDo Toolbar from Internet Explorer How to Remove the SnapDo Toolbar from FireFox How to Remove the SnapDo Toolbar from Chrome Step 4 – Remove the SnapDo Toolbar from your browsers Do a full virus scan of your computer using a boot disk. Follow these instructions to do so using AVG Rescue for Free. Step 5 – Cleanup Registry Finally cleanup your registry using any of the Free or paid programs available, click here for details, follow step 7 If you live in Western Australia, please bring your computer, PC or laptop to our office and we will be happy to remove the virus for a small fee. You can contact us here. Otherwise contact your nearest virus removal specialist. Related Posts and Articles Top 6 checks to make sure your computer is protected from Viruses and Malware How to use Microsoft’s default program to backup to an external device or hard drive Beware of scam emails about downloading Windows 10 Opening an email from Australia Post has had 3 clients in 3 days lose ALL their data to the CRYPTOLOCKER virus How to avoid Computer Viruses – Stop using Bing https://www.itguyswa.com.au/your-apple-mac-has-a-virus-this-is-not-a-joke/ Prevent viruses by not allowing others to use your computer account https://www.itguyswa.com.au/windows-8-users-open-to-adobe-reader-viruses/ How can I tell if my computer has a virus? https://www.itguyswa.com.au/how-to-remove-the-dosearches-search-virus/ How to remove the “Snap-Do” search virus Australian Federal Police virus scam Antivirus Security Pro is a SCAM – Here is how to remove it. How to remove 99% of computer viruses, malware and adware for FREE :jk:

How to remove 99% of computer viruses, malware and adware for FREE

The only effective way of removing computer viruses, malware and adware from your PC, Computer or Laptop is to use a clean “boot-disk” that examines each file on your machine without starting your operating system (such as Windows XP, Vista, 7 or 8). The boot-disk needs to be downloaded and then installed on a CD, DVD or USB memory stick or flash-drive and you need to create these from a reliable and secure source. The IT Guys like many other computer professionals rely on the “AVG Rescue CD” which can be downloaded and installed on a CD/DVD or USB stick for free. Full instructions on how to do this can be found on the AVG site here . or see the videos below: How to create a bootable AVG Rescue CD/USB | AVG Tutorial AVG Tutorial | How to remove infection from PCs using AVG Rescue How to remove the remaining 1% of computer viruses, malware and adware for FREE Some viruses and trojans resist even the attentions of the boot disk… and in this case the only way of removing them is to delete them using the utilities available in the AVG Rescue disk. 1) Manually Remove Malware not automatically healed You will need to know which files require deletion. Sometimes the virus scan report will show the exact path to the virus but most often it is best to delete the whole folder (taking care to ensure it is not a system folder used by the operating system) The following example has been witnessed in more than one PC we have fixed recently. In the above example a whole folder with the path “/Program Files (x86)/TOSHIBA Games/” contained many “Win32/Heur.dropper” threats (Win/Heur is a malicious software that once it is executed has the capability of replicating itself and infect other files and program. It can also corrupt or delete data, erase your hard drive, steal personal information, hijack your screen and spam your contacts) In the utilities section of the AVG Rescue disk is a file manager utility called “Midnight Commander” use this to identify the folder that required removing and delete the necessary file or folder. 2) Install all Windows updates This may seem obvious but without knowing it, viruses on your computer may have been blocking windows updates for many weeks, days or months. Manually run an update by going into the control panel or the windows action center and manually running a windows update. This may mean restarting your computer several times. The dialogue differs between each windows version (Windows 7 example below) You will also need to examine the windows update history. If any updates have “failed” they will need to be manually installed possibly by downloading a special “fix” 3) Remove all unnecessary installed programs In windows control-panel search on “uninstall” and then review all the programs listed as installed. Especially the newer ones. If you find any that are not signed by Microsoft or your Computers Manufacturer and you suspect them as possibly being malicious, then “uninstall them” 4) Clean up your browser add-ons and toolbars Internet browsers are a main source of viruses and malware Cleanup your add-ons, extension and remove all unnecessary search engines, toolbars and applications. You will speed up your internet browsing and stop those annoying popups, spyware and shopping alerts. 5) Clean up your start-up programs Loading 3,4 or 10 programs automatically at windows start-up can take many minutes and seem like your computer is broken or has a virus. It could just need some tidying up. At the command prompt or “Run” open up the command window and type “MSCONFIG” Here you can remove any unnecessary startup programs. 6) Clean up your browser short-cuts Some viruses corrupt your browser short cuts. If you cannot get rid of change the way your browser starts up, it maybe due to a corrupt browser short cut. Remove all shortcuts and re-create from the original program file. 7) Clean up your computers registry Use a free registry cleaner such as “CCleaner” to cleanup your registry entries. Can I purchase the AVG Rescue CD instead of having to create it myself? Yes, please click on the link here. Related Posts and Articles TOP 6 CHECKS TO MAKE SURE YOUR COMPUTER IS PROTECTED FROM VIRUSES AND MALWARE HOW TO USE MICROSOFT’S DEFAULT BACKUP TO BACKUP TO AN EXTERNAL DEVICE HOW TO USE APPLE’s TIME MACHINE TO BACKUP TO AN EXTERNAL DEVICE Beware of scam emails about downloading Windows 10 OPENING AN EMAIL FROM AUSTRALIA POST HAS HAD 3 CLIENTS IN 3 DAYS LOSE ALL THEIR DATA TO THE CRYPTOLOCKER VIRUS How to avoid Computer Viruses – Stop using Bing Your Apple Mac has a Virus (this is NOT a Joke) PREVENT VIRUSES BY NOT ALLOWING OTHERS TO USE YOUR COMPUTER ACCOUNT HOW TO AVOID COMPUTER VIRUSES – STOP USING BING WINDOWS 8.1 USERS MOST LIKELY TO SUFFER ADOBE READER VIRUSES HOW CAN I TELL IF MY COMPUTER HAS A VIRUS? HOW TO REMOVE THE “DOSEARCHES” SEARCH VIRUS HOW TO REMOVE THE “SNAP-DO” SEARCH VIRUS AUSTRALIAN FEDERAL POLICE VIRUS SCAM ANTIVIRUS SECURITY PRO IS A SCAM – HERE IS HOW TO REMOVE IT HOW TO REMOVE 99% OF COMPUTER VIRUSES, MALWARE AND ADWARE FOR FREE :jk:

Is an anti-virus program essential?

A current and updated anti-virus program on you computer, PC or laptop is essential to ensure that you are protected from most malware, computer viruses, spyware and adware (Click here for an explanation) However, anti-virus programs are not 100% fool-proof and you can still accidentally pick-up viruses from opening e-mails (especially email attachments), visiting websites, installing new or updating existing programs, browser add-ons or applications.       Computers, PCs and Laptops using the most popular operating systems “OS” such as Microsoft’s XP, Vista, Windows 7 or Windows 8 are the most vulnerable to picking up viruses.               Computers, PCs and Laptops using Apple Macintosh (OSX) or Linux operating systems are less likely to be infected by viruses and as such do not generally require anti-virus software. However, they can still pick up adware and spyware through browsers such as Chrome and Firefox.       If your anti-virus program has expired or is out-of-date YOU WILL PICKUP viruses, malware and adware no matter how careful you are,       … so ensure you update your virus definition database regularly by renewing your paid subscription or installing a reputable anti-virus program such as the paid AVG Internet Security or the equally as good AVG Free edition Click here to find out the difference between FREE and PAID anti-virus programs? Your Anti-Virus program may “warn” you that your computer has been infected but cannot always remove them, even though you will probably see a message informing you that the virus has been “deleted“, “removed“, “healed” or “quarantined“. Whenever you see such a message it is advisable to reboot your machine, update your virus definitions and run a “full-scan” of every file on your machine. This will take many minutes or many hours depending on how much data you have on you machine. There are some viruses called “worms” or “trojans” that are very clever and cannot be removed in this way. The only way to remove such programs is to use a clean “boot-disk” that examines each file on your machine without starting windows. How to remove 99% of computer viruses, malware and adware for FREE Click here for detailed instructions on how to remove 99% of malware and computer viruses for FREE using the AVG Rescue CD/DVD or bootable USB What is the difference between a “Computer Virus”, “Malware”, “Adware” and “Spyware”? “Malware” (short for malicious software) is software used to disrupt computer operation, gather sensitive information, or gain access to private computer systems. Malware includes computer viruses, ransomware, worms, trojan horses, rootkits, keyloggers, dialers, spyware, adware, malicious BHOs, rogue security software and other malicious programs; the majority of active malware threats are usually worms or trojans rather than viruses. (See Wikipedia definition here) The difference between the FREE and PAID versions of the same anti-virus program? The “paid” version of an anti-virus product usually offer two main additions to their “FREE” version. Paid versions are usually easier to use for non-technical users Paid versions offer technical support, online or by telephone. This is not available in the FREE versions. What can I do if I do not have the confidence or the technical expertise to remove the malware/virus myself? If you live in Western Australia, please bring your computer, PC or laptop to our office and we will be happy to remove the virus for a small fee. You can contact us here. Otherwise contact your nearest virus removal specialist. The IT Guys recommend AVG anti-virus products. Click on the banner below to purchase. Written by John Kirkby

Antivirus Security Pro is a SCAM – Here is how to remove it.

If you have seen this on your PC you have a serious piece of “malware” or a “computer-virus” on your PC called Antivirus Security Pro. Antivirus Security Pro is a SCAM and the people running it are after your personal information and credit card number with the aim of emptying your bank account and stealing your identity. Antivirus Security Pro is a fake security scanner which is designed to look like a real antivirus program and encourages the user to buy the full version by displaying false security alerts. Antivirus Security Pro is designed specially to threat computer users and motivate them for buying full version of Antivirus Security pro which is just a bogus software. What actually happens is, you are browsing the web and suddenly you see that Antivirus Security Pro is scanning your computer! You don’t even know how this program got installed into your computer and but your computer is infected! How to remove Antivirus Security Pro 1) Using a computer not affected by the virus, go to the Microsoft site and download “Windows Defender Offline” remembering to download the version that matches your operating system (you can find this out by going to Control Panel > System and Security > System and looking under “System Type“) 2) Burn the program to a CD or DVD 3) Restart your PC using the Windows Defender Offline media. 4) Perform a FULL Scan your PC for malicious and other potentially unwanted software. 5) Remove any malware that is found from your PC. …. and be careful what you download in future 🙂 Related Posts and Articles HOW TO USE APPLE’s TIME MACHINE TO BACKUP TO AN EXTERNAL DEVICE Top 6 checks to make sure your computer is protected from Viruses and Malware How to use Microsoft’s default program to backup to an external device or hard drive Beware of scam emails about downloading Windows 10 Opening an email from Australia Post has had 3 clients in 3 days lose ALL their data to the CRYPTOLOCKER virus How to avoid Computer Viruses – Stop using Bing https://www.itguyswa.com.au/your-apple-mac-has-a-virus-this-is-not-a-joke/ Prevent viruses by not allowing others to use your computer account How to avoid Computer Viruses – Stop using Bing https://www.itguyswa.com.au/windows-8-users-open-to-adobe-reader-viruses/ How can I tell if my computer has a virus? https://www.itguyswa.com.au/how-to-remove-the-dosearches-search-virus/ How to remove the “Snap-Do” search virus Australian Federal Police virus scam Antivirus Security Pro is a SCAM – Here is how to remove it. How to remove 99% of computer viruses, malware and adware for FREE :jk:

Are you being kept updated?

The operating Systems (OS) of any computer running Windows or Mac OS, needs to be constantly updated.     Updates usually take place on a daily basis to maintain security, integrity and the usability of the computer. New bugs and security threats are being discovered daily and just like your virus checker, these threats and bugs have to be fixed before they become vulnerable to a hacker or intruder.   Most updates are scheduled to update-automatically on a daily basis, but that does not mean you are getting the updates. For some unknown reason, Microsoft thinks we all have our PC’s switched on at 3am So the first thing to do to increase your chances of getting regular updates when your PC is switched on is to update the time that windows schedules it’s updates to a time when your PC is most likely to be switched on. Updating Windows XP OS This is how to check that your computer is being kept up to date if you are using the Windows XP operating system XP tells you there are are updates available by displaying a yellow shield in the bottom right hand corner of the screen (this is an enlarged version). Click on the yellow shield and follow the prompts to install updates.               When you shut down your PC you will see this screen whenever there are updates to install. If you RARELY or NEVER shut down your PC you may not be getting these updates. You should shut down your PC at least once a day.           If you have NOT seen either of the above recently, run WINDOWS UPDATE manually by doing one of the following from the Start Menu                                 Or by going to “Control Panel” and then clicking on the windows Update link on the left hand side under “See Also” The locate of windows update differs depending on the version of Windows XP Once updates have been installed you maybe prompted to restart your PC. Press the “Restart Now” button.                                       As above most updates are scheduled to update-automatically at 3am. To increase your chances of getting regular updates when your PC is switched on is to update the time that windows schedules it’s updates to a time when your PC is most likely to be switched on.                         Updating Windows Vista and Windows 7 OS The procedure for Visa and Windows 7 are almost identical as follows: Look uut for the warning flags in the bottom right hand corner of your screen     If you see a flag with a cross or an exclamation mark     hover over the flag and you will get an indication of the problem. Click on the flag to goto the “Action Center” where you will be informed if updates are required.     In the “Action Center” click on “Windows Update” in the bottom left of the window, this will take you to the windows update page.                   You can also access this page through Control Panel > System and Security > Windows Update. This panel allows you to check for updates, view update history and to check for additional updates. Click on “Change Settings” to modify the time you receive updates (see above) If you don’t want or can’t fix the problem yourself, give us a call and we can fix it. Come to us in Subiaco or we can come to you. Written by John Kirkby